Alain the Model Maker

Hearing the ship's leader speak, the passengers breathed a sigh of relief and stopped worrying about their safety. The fear that had been growing in the unfamiliar, enclosed environment gradually subsided. Although they still had many doubts, they followed the instructions given by the second mate over the loudspeaker, leaving the restaurant in order and returning to their rooms to put on their life jackets and wait.

However, not everyone who heard the announcement was willing to return to their rooms at this time... especially those passengers who were ostensibly on vacation but actually there to attend the new product launch; this chaotic situation was an opportunity they couldn't miss.

After the announcement, some of those remaining in the cabins found a card in front of their own doors, while others received one from a waiter or a passing passenger... Through various means, they received a concise yet explosive message from Dark Shadow: "Little Red Riding Hood has been stolen. We at Dark Shadow need your help. Help us catch the thief, and you will receive a free opportunity to win any product, whatever it may be. Note: Little Red Riding Hood must be intact."

The Dark Shadow's plea for help... Those who received the message were quite surprised. As far as they knew, the Dark Shadow had always operated like an independent courier company, moving between various organizations and countries, providing them with all sorts of information and products. However, apart from money, the Dark Shadow had never taken anything from any organization, maintaining only the purest form of transactional relationship.

But now, Dark Shadow is actually lowering its head to ask these people from all over the world for help? Although this short message doesn't reveal any of Dark Shadow's attitude, as if they're just issuing a routine task, many of those who received this card are not simple buyers. They gleaned an important message from this message—"Little Red Riding Hood" is extremely important to Dark Shadow. As long as they obtain Little Red Riding Hood, they will have leverage to negotiate with Dark Shadow!

You have to understand, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If Dark Shadow weren't in this manpower- Dark Shadow ocean, with the strongest mercenary legion "Griffin," they could find anyone they wanted in the world in no time. This kind of pursuit mission would definitely not be assigned to a rabble like them!

Excited, these people ignored the loudspeaker repeatedly instructing passengers to return to their rooms and began searching the entire ship with great eagerness...

"Captain, the task you assigned has been completed. According to information obtained from the surveillance footage by our undercover agent in the bridge, both the casual thieves and our invited guests are now mobilized and are searching the entire ship for the thief disguised as 'The Wolf'!"

In a luxurious penthouse suite, a neatly dressed waiter was reporting some information to the room's owner. Judging from his respectful tone, it was easy to tell that the person in front of him was no ordinary individual.

The room's owner didn't answer. He turned and handed a glass of red wine to the elderly gentleman standing to the side, who was using a cane for support, and said slowly, "Detective, is this alright?"

The room's owner was none other than Dark Shadow, the host of this press conference. He was wearing a suit jacket, and although he had a wolf's head, he didn't look wild at all; instead, he gave off an intellectual vibe.

The elderly gentleman, known as the detective, accepted the red wine but didn't drink a drop. Instead, he spoke to the Werewolf in a calm yet admiring voice, "Although the ship's communication system was jammed, as expected of Dark Shadow, even under these circumstances, you were able to spread the message throughout the entire cruise ship in just a few minutes. Such efficiency is truly astonishing."

"This is all thanks to you, Mr. Adams. You truly deserve the title of 'Holmes,' the highest honor in Europe detective work. Your keen insight would surely put even Holmes to shame."

Adams gently shook his head. "I wouldn't dare accept that. I merely took advantage of my Quirk. Without Quirk, who could compare to that detective..."

"So... let's stop this pointless mutual flattery." Adams looked up at the girl who was lying on the sofa, bound by ropes, but whose attention was drawn to the television screen. He said calmly, "Alain, you should know that this help you received wasn't free."

The television was showing an old movie, "The Silence of the Lambs." The girl's eyes sparkled; she was completely absorbed in the film, forgetting her current predicament.

Adams tied up the girl disguised as Little Red Riding Hood at the casino and, guided by two men in black suits who had nearly been killed, arrived at the room of the highest-ranking officer on the ship, Dark Shadow.

Adams is a detective with extensive connections to both the legitimate and criminal worlds. He has also had many dealings with this Werewolf named Alain. It should be said that he boarded the ship this time specifically for Alain.

Alain shrugged. "My dear friend, I'm very grateful for your help, but as you know, I'm just a model maker doing this out of hobby. I have absolutely no leads on the case you're investigating, so I really can't help you."

Alain is the owner of the Dark Shadow Sex Toys shop; all the Little Red Riding Hood figures and other models are his creations.

Adams's reasons for siding with Dark Shadow and helping them solve the theft were not complicated. He had a very important case at his disposal, but the investigation went cold halfway through. He intuitively felt that Dark Shadow was involved, so he somehow obtained an invitation to the ship, hoping to get an answer from Dark Shadow.

Adams frowned. "You really weren't involved in this case? If you're worried about my identity, there's no need. I'm just a detective; I'm not interested in anything outside of cases."

Although Dark Shadow was selling weapons and support equipment, their headquarters were not located in the United Kingdom. Adams did not have the authority to manage them, nor was he the Pacific Ocean Police, nor did he want to get involved in such a mess to touch this behemoth.

He just wanted an answer.

Looking into Adams's wise and determined eyes, Alain helplessly raised his hands. "Alright, I admit that our Dark Shadow is somewhat connected to the case you're investigating, but that's not under my jurisdiction. At most, I can only provide you with the name of an officer; whether you can uncover the truth depends on yourself."

"That's enough." Adams nodded in satisfaction. "In exchange, I'll help you catch this thief."

"You've provided enough information, and we've followed your advice to get the buyers moving, but..." Alain asked curiously, "Are you also interested in Little Red Riding Hood?"

"No, I'm just curious about this lady who perfectly mimics Little Red Riding Hood in both height and weight." Adams leaned on his cane and walked towards the girl. "Besides, although you call yourselves the Big Bad Wolf, you're nothing more than wolf grandmothers in wolf's skin. The one trying to take Little Red Riding Hood away is the real Big Bad Wolf... While detectives don't represent justice, that doesn't mean we'll stand idly by in certain situations."